New Friends, New Enemies
by Calming Blizzard
Summary: A Merthur tale, not canon. Disappearing caravans, skeletons appearing? This is only the beginning for Merlin and Arthur, follow them as they make new friends and new enemies


Hey all! Hopefully I can do my favorite paring justice with this story!

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"Come on Merlin!" Arthur shouted behind him, looking at a little figure, carrying a tonne of supplies

"I would be able to walk faster, if I wasn't carrying so much!" Merlin heaved out, apparently this is what happens to servants who didn't bring their royals their breakfast sharpish, and when they do, they drop it on their head, it was an accident of course! Merlin had just woken up, realising that his royal clotpoleness hadn't gotten his breakfast, so before he got something for himself, he quickly dressed himself, ran past Gaius, who shouted his good mornings down the corridor, Merlin then ran into the kitchens, and saw a very annoyed chef holding out the princes, now cold, breakfast. Merlin scooped up the tray and didn't say anything or listen to anything the cook had to say, he then ran to Arthur's room and checked to see if the prince was up, he knocked on the door, waiting for the usual 'Enter!' but didn't hear anything apart from the gentle snoring of the prince. Merlin smiled to himself, knowing he'd just made it, he carefully opened the door, and walked in, closing the door behind him, he went to hand the prince his tray of food, when an empty wine bottle caught the bottom of his foot, making him trip over, throw the tray in the air and land on the princes head. And now here he was, carrying more than enough equipment and supplies for Arthur and his knights, on their hunting trip, as Arthur said this morning, 'Something is getting shot with an arrow' Merlin was just glad it wasn't him, Lancelot and Gwaine tried to offer some help but when Arthur shot them a deadly gaze they left him to carry the huge load. Arthur seemed to be more angry than he normally was when Merlin messed up, but no one knew why, Merlin would have tried to goad it out of him by now, but right now, Arthur was projecting all of his anger to him, which happened on a more than normal basis right now. That was one of his main concerns, his other one was his magic revealing itself right now, he'd eaten any breakfast or anything, straight after Arthur cleaned up Merlin went and fetched him some more but still didn't get any for himself and now he was beginning to feel the strain of not eating and carrying this load, Leon turned back to see him struggling and looking quite pale, paler than usual, so he walked a little faster than usual, to make sure Merlin couldn't lighten his load he ordered the horses to be left behind at Camelot, which gained him some disapproving looks from everyone. Leon caught up to Arthur and told him about Merlin

"Sire, Merlin's really suffering back there"

"Good" Arthur said angrily

"But my lord, he looks as if he is about to collapse, you're never this cruel" Leon said the last part quietly to himself but Arthur still managed to hear, Arthur sighed

"Let's take a rest" He lifted his hand to cover his eyes at the harsh light, they'd have to begin hunting soon, it was almost mid day now and they hadn't brought as much supplies as they needed, so Merlin couldn't excuse himself from carrying it all, Arthur knew he was being more cruel than usual, but when Merlin had just come in and dropped that tray on his head like the true toad he was, Arthur had just managed to fall asleep, he'd had a rough night and couldn't sleep. The knights all ran to help Merlin, remove the luggage his was carrying, once they removed it, Merlin shook a little, making the knights guide him to a nearby log and make him take some deep breathes, Arthur watched from afar and decided he needed to be by himself for a little bit, so he took off without saying much, while the knights and Merlin had a chance to take a breath, but Merlin noticed that Arthur wasn't where here with them, so while the knights were all having a drink and talking, they were all dying to talk but Arthur was in a foul mood so everyone remained silent apart from Merlin of course. Merlin steadied himself and walked to where he last saw Arthur and saw him walking on ahead, obviously trying to be by himself, but Merlin knew he wouldn't be able to survive by himself so begun to follow him, trying to keep his distance, in case he was given anymore of the prince's rage. When they walked for what seemed like an eternity to Merlin as he hadn't had a real rest, Arthur found a fallen tree and placed himself upon it "You're not good at being quiet, are you Merlin?" Merlin froze where he was, Arthur turned around to him

"Maybe you've got huge ears?" Merlin said to Arthur, hoping to make him laugh, which worked to an extent, Arthur smiled at his manservant, who was coming closer to he and sat down next to him

"Shouldn't you ask your future king whether you can sit next to him?" Arthur said

"Well if someone comes along who's good enough to be king, I'll be sure to ask him if I can sit down" Merlin said, making Arthur smirk, and lightly punching Merlin's arm, making Merlin shout playfully

"Merlin, I'm sorry for being mad at you" Merlin smiled at Arthur "I should be used to you being useless now" Arthur continued, but still the smile from Merlin's face never faltered, but Merlin wanted to find out what was wrong with Arthur

"Arthur, is something wrong?" Merlin asked him, which made him turn away from his manservant, everyone knew something was wrong but no one had the guts to ask Arthur, for fear of getting put in the stocks, but Merlin didn't care

"Merlin, if I tell you, no one can know, only me and my father know about this, do you understand?" Arthur said, Merlin nodded to him "We've had some reports of people disappearing, mainly traveling caravans, passing through"

"So bandits?" Merlin suggested, but Arthur shook his head

"We have no idea, in the night, people just disappear, sometimes including their carriage, the only thing left is a few leaves"

"So we're out here to find out what it is doing this?"

"No, we're here because I needed to left off some steam before I killed someone, namely you" Arthur said, still angry "I've been stuck inside the castle, trying to figure out what it is, or who it is, doing this, I was going crazy in that castle and then you dropped breakfast on my head and I just blew up!" Arthur threw a rock at a tree

"Why didn't you ask for help? Someone must know who or what this is?"

"I can't under my father's orders, if word gets out something's attacking caravans on their way to Camelot, people wouldn't come this way and we'd lose money, it'd look even worse, if we don't know what it is doing this, so to save pride I'm trying to find something, anything, but I don't know what I'm looking for and then to top it all off, I can't sleep" Arthur finished his rant to Merlin, throwing another rock at a tree

"Well now I know, so I can help, and you know I can keep secrets for you Arthur" Merlin beamed at Arthur, he knew when to call him a clotpole and when not to and now was a time to help him

"You know, you might not be so useless after all" 'spoke too soon' goes through Merlin's head

"Come on, the others will be wondering where we are" Merlin said and lead the way back to the knights, when they appeared in sight, the knights, ran to them,

"My lord, we didn't know where you had gone" Gwaine said, relieved

"Me and Merlin went for a walk, that's all" Arthur smiled to his friend, showing he was much calmer than before "It's too late to hunt I think and we didn't come properly prepared"

"Maybe if we brought horses" Merlin says, earning a smirk from Leon

"Maybe if you weren't so weak" Arthur retorts, they shared out the load of what was Merlin's original luggage, when they arrived to Camelot, the sun was very much in its last stages, and Merlin was staving, but he knew Arthur would want to discuss more about the disappearing caravans more, so he decided to wait, the knights went off to their own individual activities, Leon and Lancelot decided to work in some training before nightfall whist everyone decided to work in some alcohol before the morning and set off for the pub, while Arthur and Merlin made for Arthur's chambers, as soon as they got in, Arthur asked Merlin "Merlin, go fetch me some food and some wine from the kitchens" he wanted to argue with the prince's request saying dinner was soon, but he was so hungry and didn't want to argue, so he sluggishly went to the kitchens and once again produced a tray of food and wine for Arthur who was already looking in some old leather bound book

"Well I never thought I'd see you looking at a book" Merlin says, Arthur giving him a warning look

"My father says magic is somehow involved so I'm trying to find about anything magical what can do this" Merlin froze at the word magic, worried if this is the time that he'll be caught and executed, but that wouldn't be the worst part of it for Merlin, it'd be Arthur and the knights, doing nothing to save him, he'd never really had friends and these people he counted as his closed friends, and he didn't want to give them up for anything

"But doesn't the king say magic is behind everything unexplained?" Merlin said, with some truth in it but also trying to deflect the idea of magic being used evilly

"That is true but honestly Merlin, I can't see any other explanation" Arthur sat back in his yawning and pouring himself a goblet of wine

"Let's not rule out bandits just yet" Arthur gave him an annoyed look "Now hold on, we don't know if-" suddenly Merlin started seeing stars before his eyes and steadied himself again

"Merlin?!" Arthur thundered to his feet and grabbed onto Merlin as he looked as if he was going to faint, he lead him to the bed "Merlin?"

"Sorry" Merlin blushed a little, his stomach growled loudly, making him blush even more

"When did you last eat Merlin?" Arthur asked, as he lifted up the plate of fruit, and sandwiches

"I ate last night..." Merlin whispered, Arthur sighed and handed him the plate of food, but taking an apple for himself

"Go on, eat" Arthur ordered, he didn't need to tell Merlin twice and he dived into the food like a wild animal "So why do you think bandits then Merlin?" Just as he asked him, Merlin had a mouth full of food

"Welb I tbink-"

"Finish your food first Merlin" Arthur said, Merlin chewed his food and the swallowed

"Well I think of it like this, the whole carriage is gone? Why would a sorcerer take a whole carriage?" Merlin said, allowing Arthur to think and for him to shove another sandwich in his face

"Okay, so your a bandit and you only take one carriage, why not the whole thing?" Arthur asks him and this time he swallows his food first

"Because I can stay taking carriages longer, if I'm like any other bandits then they'll just send in some soldiers and I'll be killed, so to throw them off-"

"To throw them off, I act different!" Arthur finishes for him and beats his hand on the desk "I must tell my father!" he runs to the door with the idea fresh in his head "Merlin, take the evening off!" he shouts to him.

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Arthur composes himself outside his father's chambers, which is where he'd be right now, before dinner, he knocks on the door and a booming voice replies "Enter!" to which is does, he enters the chambers which are too far from being his, the only difference is the size and no Merlin stood in the corner "Arthur..." his father says, not looking up from his work, and continues acting as if he wasn't there, not even giving Arthur a chance he shouts "Come on!" his father was not in a good mood, Arthur noted so decided to be straight to the point

"Father, I've figured out the disappearing caravans carriages" he said calmly and carried on "Its bandits"

"Yes, well I could have figured that out" Uther said bitterly "We both know magic is involved" Uther looked up at his son, discarding the quill he was using

"Father, I don't think so-"

"Of course magic is involved! Magic is evil!" Uther boomed, his face going red with rage "Don't forget Arthur!"he stormed off, leaving his son in his chambers, disgusted that magic wasn't involved. Arthur wanted to argue with him, but he knew it wouldn't get him anyway apart from in the stocks so he shut his mouth and walked back to his chambers. He passed Leon and Lancelot who saw he had a sad look on his face, and let he be, knowing that he'd been just to see his father so whatever was said, had hurt him. He'd been raised to think all magic was evil and should be destroyed or burned at the stake, which was the punishment for witchcraft, he'd gone along with it.

Until he met Merlin, who as always showed him another path, that not all magic was evil; They were walking down a road, where they saw a little body lying in the road, they sped to it, to see a little girl with her hands in front of the body, a mist coming from her hands, Arthur stopped and Merlin followed him, they saw the mist envelop the little body, and soon it was moving ever so slightly, which was more than what it was before, Arthur moved closer knowing what he'd seen, magic, so he drew his blade and pointed it at the little girl who cried. Merlin stood in front of the little girl and told Arthur to put his sword away, which lead them to fight, and Arthur shoved Merlin to the side and stepped closer to the girl and the other girl, who now was moving around, he stopped in front of the healer, who was crying and clutching to her sister. Arthur looked at her and then Merlin, he drew in a breath "Run" he whispered to the girl and her sister, the littler one pulled her crying to her feet and they both ran away from Arthur. Merlin just at stared at Arthur as he kept moving along the road. That was a few months ago, Merlin was having such a huge effect on him, as if he wasn't there, Arthur would have either cut down the girl or took her to Camelot to be burned, but he just couldn't, he didn't tell anyone else and Merlin was sworn to keep quiet and never tell a soul. And here again, Merlin had steered him away from blaming magic again. He walked like a zombie to his chambers, expecting Merlin to be gone but hoping he wasn't, sadly as he opened the door, Merlin was no where in sight and the tray was taken away, Arthur didn't feel like eating right now, feeling like he was slowly betraying his father, so he removed his clothing and climbed into bed. The last thought in his head before he drifted to sleep was one he didn't want to welcome, the thought of Merlin being here.

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In the dark and disgusting chambers, Merlin sat with what seemed like a thousand books, all around him, he thought his bandits point was pretty good, but he knew if it wasn't that slim chance then it would have to be a magical one, which made Merlin feel worse, the thought of executing another sorcerer made he feel sick, not wanting to think about it, he threw himself into the books. But he had nothing to go on, it was like trying to find a needle in the haystack, he would have asked Gaius if not for two things; him swearing to Arthur he wouldn't tell another soul, and that Gaius is spending the night in the village, so right now he was alone. At he least he thought he was, when he heard a knocking at his chamber door, he carefully got up, "Hello?" Merlin called

"Merlin its me Lancelot, I have someone who wants to see you" Merlin walked to the door and opened it, to see a man in a green shirt, blue trousers and a blue pointy hat and Lancelot stood next to him, looking tired

"Good evening fellow!" The man said "I talked with your master in the village and I asked for a touch of a sleeping potion" Merlin didn't look convinced that Gaius said he could, when he gave him a note, with his signature on it, Merlin shrugged and went to the potion and handed it over to him "Thank you very much lad, I've already paid, your master but here, a little for your self and a sweet filly" the man handed it over with a wink and a smile, Lancelot took him away from the room, wishing Merlin a good night, which he returned and went to bed, thinking he could do nothing more for the day.

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The old man walked out the grounds, escorted by Lancelot, when they reached the gate, he gave him a bow and a wave and went back down to his caravan with a skip in his step. When he reached it, he saw the dying embers of a camptalk, he walked to a bright green carriage, knocked three times and walked in, inside the carriage was a little family, a mother and two little boys, he smiled at the boys lying in their makeshift bed, sleeping, sitting on the floor next to them was a young woman but she looked already as if grey hairs were beginning to make way into her hair, her eyes were wide awake, but seemed sleepy at the same time, no words were exchanged only the potion was given to her and a tear running down her cheek, he brushed it away softy and held her face in his hand. He smiled down to her and watched her drink the potion and almost fall asleep there and then, he pulled away the sheet behind her, covering up some old junk to hopefully be sold, and he draped it around her and kissed her on the head and tip toed out. He went to his carriage, a nice deep and calming blue, he walked inside and didn't bother lighting a candle, he'd been in there enough times in the dark to know where to put his feet and where to not lean on, he decided to just wear his clothes to bed and put fresh ones on tomorrow, he removed his shoes and laid down on his bed. He dreamt of smiling children, all laughing and enjoying the toys he made, the parents rushed to shower him with love for his amazing toys which some admitted had played with themselves, he was woken by a snap, the carriage shook and darkness took him.

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Arthur yet again didn't sleep a wink but thankfully Merlin managed to get into his chambers without throwing his breakfast all over him, Arthur just scowled at Merlin on the surface but beneath that he was so happy to see his manservant, depending on his voice

"Good morning your majesty" Merlin said, with a hint of mockery

"Good morning Merlin, I must say I do like to not wear my breakfast"

"And I thought it finally was something that was slimming on you" Merlin added before he even knew what he said, Arthur lobbed a piece of sausage at his head, smacking in the back of it, which made Merlin shout in minor annoyance

"Anything for today Merlin?" Arthur asked innocently, eating the other sausage on his plate, Merlin rubbed at the spot where he was hit, trying to gain some sympathy from Arthur and rubbed away any grease

"Nothing really M'lord" Merlin said bitterly "But I think we could go check the forest again, a caravan passed through so maybe something happened?"

"You mean you're waiting on some one disappearing?" Arthur asked, shocked

"Its all we have I'm afraid, I suppose we can hope someone really evil got taken" Merlin added as a sort of joke but it wasn't as well appreciated

"I'd rather no get taken Merlin" Arthur said 'Merlin' we an underlying tone of venom, just feeling out of sorts with him, which made his manservant huff and puff but not say anything and just be silent. When breakfast was all done and they were dressed and ready, they strolled out of Camelot, Arthur was on a horse and Merlin walked alongside him, they walked in silence again, with Arthur's hand on his blade, and Merlin's eyes ready to see anything or to cast magic, they stopped walked when they heard a creaking noise, they watched the trees in front of them, Arthur drew his blade and stood by his friend, both looking into the woods, when something come flying out, hitting Merlin and sending him some distance, Arthur abandoned his horse and ran to his friend "Merlin!" He shouted, shoving the object off his friend

"I'm okay" He coughed out loud, getting the air back into himself, he looked over at the object that hit him, it was a skeleton, he jumped away from it, thinking it had leapt of its own accord, Arthur took a defensive stance between it and Merlin, when it made no effort to move, he jabbed it with his sword, and still nothing, they both breathed a sigh of relief, Arthur walked to the edge of the trees and looked inward again to see if anything moved or something else was flung out, Merlin clutched at his side, he must have bruised a rib or something, he got to his feet and walked to the skeleton, he gasped, making Arthur run over

"Merlin, what's wrong!" Arthur demanded

"I know this man" Merlin said, pointing at the skeleton's green shirt, blue trousers and a blue pointy hat

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Well that's it so far, please let me know what you think guys and have an awesome day! :D


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